Curtain rod bracket



Nov. 16, 1965 H. E. BUTLER CURTAIN ROD BRACKET Filed Sept. 19, 1963 DivINVENTOR. HAROLD E. BUTLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice 3,218,017CURTAIN ROD BRACKET Harold E. Butler, Levittowu, Pa., assiguor to KeuneyManufacturing Company, Warwick, R.I., a corporation of Rhode IslandFiled Sept. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 310,036 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-263) Theinvention relates to a bracket for supporting a flanged rod, such as acurtain rod.

Curtain rod brackets presently available support a single size ofcurtain rod. Thus, a stock of brackets for each size of curtain rod mustbe manufactured and maintained. Also, present brackets requireindependent attachment to the supporting surface, such as the headcasing of a window or a wall surface, even though often they arepositioned adjacent another bracket, such as a traverse rod bracket. Theindependent attachment required for each bracket doubles the damage doneto the supporting surface by the fasteners. A further desirableinterchangeable feature is provided by some brackets presentlyavailable; that is, a single bracket may be used to support either theright or the left end of a curtain rod.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a bracket which willsupport more than just a single size of curtain rod, and which may beattached to the supporting surface by the same fasteners attaching anadjacent bracket, and which is also interchangeable.

The bracket of the present invention comprises a generally rectangularbase plate, and an outwardly projecting prong formed at one side edge ofthe base plate. The prong includes a hook projecting upwardly from thetop edge of the prong. The base plate includes at least one slot in theside edge opposite the prong, the slot extending inwardly from the sideedge. The base plate also includes spaced openings through it positionedbetween the top and bottom edges receiving the fasteners for attachingit to a supporting surface. Preferably the bracket includes two prongsboth formed at the same side edge of the base plate, the prongs beingspaced apart from one another and the hook on each prong extending awayfrom the other prong. Preferably the bracket also includes at least twoslots extending from the side edge opposite the prongs towards theprongs, the slots being spaced at distance corresponding to the standardspacing of fasteners for another bracket.

A preferred embodiment of the bracket will be described in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the bracket of the presentinvention,

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of a portion of a curtain rod andtraverse rod attached by brackets to a supporting surface, and

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of the bracket of the presentinvention underlying a curtain rod bracket.

The bracket of the present invention includes a generally rectangularbase plate 12 and two prongs 14 and 16 formed at one side edge of thebase plate and spaced from one another, the prongs projecting outwardlyfrom the plane of the base plate. Preferably, the base plate and prongsare stamped from a single sheet of metal, although the bracket may beformed of other materials or by other methods if so desired. Each prongincludes a hook 18 projecting in a direction away from the other prong,the hook being formed at the outer side edge of the prong. Theillustrated construction of the prong is generally similar to theconstruction of the prong set forth in William C. Kenney United StatesPatent No. 2,162,674 issued June 13, 1939.

Three slots 20 are provided at the side edge of the base plate oppositethe prongs, the slots extending towards the prongs. Adjacent slots arespaced a distance correspond- 3,218,017 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 ing tothe standard spacing of the two fasteners attaching a small curtain rodor traverse bracket to a supporting surface, as shown in FIG. 3, whilethe outer two slots are spaced a distance corresponding to the standardspacing of the two fasteners attaching a large curtain rod or traverserod bracket to a supporting surface, as shown in FIG. 2. Each slotdiverges outwardly adjacent the side edge of the base plate to provide amouth for guiding the body of a fastener into the slot. Two openings 22are provided through the body of the base plate between its top andbottom edges for receiving fasteners, such as screws, to independentlyattach the bracket to a supporting surface when desired.

Each prong 14 is shaped to receive and support the end portion of asmall curtain rod, the hook 18 extending through an aperture adjacentend portion of the curtain rod, as shown in FIGURE 2, and holding thecurtain rod in a horizontal, outwardly projecting position. Because thehooks of the prongs extend away from one another, the bracket isinterchangeable and will support the left end of a curtain rod whenpositioned as illustrated, or the right end of a curtain rod when turnedin the plane of the base plate While the base plate is illustrated inFIGURE 1 as extending inwardly in the same direction as the body of thecurtain rod, the bracket may be turned so that the base plate extendsoutwardly and still supports the curtain rod, thereby providing anadditional advantage in that it may be attached to the supportingsurface by the fasteners attaching a bracket either inwardly oroutwardly of the desired position of the curtain rod. The two prongs 14and 16 are spaced from one another a distance such that the prongstogether will receive and support the end of a large curtain rod, thebottom portion of the curtain rod slipping under and bearing against thebottom hook 18. Thus, not only is the bracket interchangeable but itwill support either a small or a large size curtain rod if desired.

The bracket 10 is illustrated in FIGURE 2 as being supported by thefasteners 24 attaching a traverse rod,

bracket 26 to a supporting surface 28, illustrated as the head lintel ofa window. The base plate of the bracket extends under the base of thetraverse rod bracket, the outer two slots 20 in the bracket 10 receivingand extending about the body of fasteners 24. The fasteners force thebase of the traverse rod bracket against the surface of the base plate,holding it to the wall and thereby also supporting it. If desired, aswhen a curtain rod carrying a heavy curtain is to be supported by thebracket 10, an additional fastener extending through one of openings 22in the base plate may be employed to support the bracket. However,ordinarily this is not necessary. Should the bracket be used alone, thenit may be fastened to a supporting surface by fasteners, such as screws,extending through openings 22 in the base plate, and through slots 20 ifdesired.

The bracket is illustrated in FIGURE 3 in conjunction with a smallcurtain rod bracket 30, such as is illustrated in the Kenney patentsupra, the bracket being supported by the fasteners attaching the smallcurtain rod bracket to the supporting surface.

Thus, the bracket of the present invention will support either end ofeither a small or a large size curtain rod, or a similar flanged rod. Itmay be used in conjunction with an adjacent bracket, and attached to thesupporting surface by the fasteners of the adjacent bracket, or it maybe attached to the supporting surface by its own fasteners. Accordingly,the bracket of the present invention materially reduces manufacturingand inventory expenses, since only it need be manufactured and stocked.

While a preferred embodiment of the bracket of the present invention hasbeen illustrated and described, it is to be understood that variousmodifications within the skill of the art may be made in the details ofthe bracket without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim: a

1. A bracket for supporting a flanged rod comprising a generallyrectangular base plate, two outwardly projecting prongs integral withone side edge of the base plate and spaced from one another, each prongincluding a hook at its outer side edge projecting away from the otherprong, the base plate including a plurality of inwardly extending slotsformed in the side edge opposite said one side edge for receiving thebody portion of fasteners attaching the bracket to a supporting surfacewhereby a second bracket may be mounted by said fasteners over said baseplate.

2. A bracket as set forth in claim 1 including openings through the baseplate between the top and bottom edges of the base plate for receivingthe body of the fasteners attaching the base'plate to a supportingsurface.

3. A bracket as set forth in claim 1 in which there are three of saidslots, adjacent slots being spaced from one another at a distancecorresponding standard spacing of fasteners attaching a small curtainrod bracket to a supporting surface, the outer two slots being spaced adistance corresponding to the standard spacing of fasten- &

ers attaching a large traverse rod bracket to a supporting surface.

4. A bracket as set forth in claim 3 formed of a single sheet of metal,the prongs extending outwardly at substantially right angles to theplane of the base plate, the base plate including two openings extendingthrough it and spaced between the top and bottom edges of the base forreceiving the body of fasteners attaching the base plate to a supportingsurface.

References (Zited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,800 1/1924Wait 248262 1,490,824 4/1924 Hauser 248262 1,574,632 2/1926 Moller248-262 1,621,243 3/1927 Eagan 248-262 1,713,531 5/1929 Henry 248-2621,799,802 4/ 1931 Marczukowski 248-263 1,953,450 4/1934 Thompson 248-2632,783,014 2/1957 Kenney 248263 2,809,798 10/1957 Kenney 24S-2633,090,588 5/1963 Monette 248216 CLAUDE A. LE ROY Primary Examiner.

1. A BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING A FLANGED ROD COMPRISING A GENERALLYRECTANGULAR BASE PLATE, TWO OUTWARDLY PROJECTING PRONGS INTEGRAL WITHONE SIDE EDGE OF THE BASE PLATE AND SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER, EACH PRONGINCLUDING A HOOK AT ITS OUTER SIDE EDGE PROJECTING AWAY FROM THE OTHERPRONG, THE BASE PLATE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF INWARDLY EXTENDING SLOTSFORMED IN THE SIDE EDGE OPPOSITE SAID ONE SIDE EDGE FOR RECEIVING THEBODY PORTION OF FASTENERS ATTACHING THE BRACKET TO A SUPPORTING SURFACEWHEREBY A SECOND BRACKET MAY BE MOUNTED BY SAID FASTENERS OVER SAID BASEPLATE.